Common Side Effects

• Common side effects of sulfa medications include itching, skin rashes, muscle or joint pain, abdominal tenderness, diarrhea, increased or decreased urination, increased thirst, lower back pain and mood changes.
  
  

Time Frame

• Side effects of sulfa medications typically accompany the first doses of the drugs and gradually subside once your body becomes acclimated to them.
  
  

Drug Interactions

• When combined with blood thinners like Warfarin, sulfa medications increase your risk of experiencing uncontrollable bleeding during surgery or following an injury. The combination of seizure medications, estrogen supplements, oral contraceptives or anti-anxiety drugs with sulfa medications pose a risk of liver inflammation or damage.
  
  

Risks

• Some patients experience serious allergic reactions to sulfa medications, causing shortness of breath, racing heart rate and even shock. It is also possible to develop a shortage of oxygen-carrying red or infection-fighting white blood cells, causing coughing, fever, throat soreness and jaundice.
  
  

Considerations

• Because there is not yet sufficient evidence that sulfa medications pose no risks to the fetus, doctors typically do not prescribe the drug for pregnant women. In addition, children under two months of age should not take sulfa medications due to potential side effects.